job candidate’s wife keeps contacting me, even after I’ve told her to stop by Alison Green on August 27, 2018 A reader writes: I have a candidate in our hiring process. Due to the industry (skilled trades) I work in, we require a number of safety tickets, orientations, supplemental training, and coordination of flights and camp prior to an employee starting. This candidate, we will call him Bob, seems to be a good fit for […] Read the full article →
is my husband’s chronic unhappiness at work really about him, not his jobs? by Alison Green on August 8, 2018 A reader writes: When it comes to employment / job stability, my husband and I are seemingly polar opposites. We have been together for almost seven years now (married for almost one year), and in that time, he has had six jobs. Of those, the longest he held the same one was for three years. […] Read the full article →
ask the readers: my husband is awful at job searching – and gets cranky when he needs to by Alison Green on July 5, 2018 Per Thursday tradition, I’m throwing this letter out to readers to weigh in on: My husband is a master’s level professional who is working in “soft money.” So every one, three, or five years, he’s looking for a job again. Oftentimes he’s lucky and he just gets “rehired” (really more like transferred) to a similar […] Read the full article →
my mom wants to come with me to a professional conference and isn’t taking no for an answer by Alison Green on June 25, 2018 A reader writes: I have been in a job that I love for the past four years. It’s a government job that has the possibility to expire within the next four years. I’m scheduled to attend a conference that is not technically for my job but it is the same industry and it’s a fantastic […] Read the full article →
why do so many parents give terrible work advice to their kids? by Alison Green on May 29, 2018 It’s undoubtedly true that some parents, somewhere, give their adult children excellent guidance on jobs and work life. But based on the letters I get at Ask a Manager, I can say with confidence that many, many parents are steering their kids oddly astray when it comes to navigating work life. Sometimes this takes the […] Read the full article →
my daughter refuses to tell interviewers why she left her last job by Alison Green on May 15, 2018 A reader writes: My daughter got fired from her first full-time job for chronic tardiness. Due to a combination of youth, inexperience, and (in my opinion) stupidity, she somehow missed the signs that she was in danger of losing her job until they called her in one day and told her to hit the road. […] Read the full article →
my dad is dating my boss, and they want me to go to couples therapy with them by Alison Green on May 9, 2018 A reader writes: My dad started dating this woman (Jill) about two years ago, after he and my stepmom amicably divorced. As this was going on, I graduated from grad school, ended my student internship, and started looking for jobs. In six months, I applied to 275 jobs and didn’t get a single interview. I […] Read the full article →
my brother broke up with our coworker, it’s causing drama, and I want to intervene by Alison Green on April 10, 2018 A reader writes: I work in an office with my older brother, Jack. He is not my boss, nor am I his. We have pretty separate roles, but we do see each other frequently during work. Everyone knows we are related, and it has caused no issues so far. A few months back, Jack began […] Read the full article →
how can I stop resenting my friend who doesn’t have to work? by Alison Green on March 27, 2018 A reader writes: I have a good friend, Arya, who has been taking some time off work for a few years now. Basically, she doesn’t need to work to get by like you and I do. Her spouse makes really good money at an international company, and his salary affords them a generous lifestyle of […] Read the full article →
I work from home and my mom won’t stop talking to me by Alison Green on March 6, 2018 A reader writes: I work remotely for an organization as a salaried employee, and I work from home. I also still live at home. My mom works from home, too. She’s a real estate agent. Here’s the issue: she will not stop talking to me about every single communication she has with her clients. Literally […] Read the full article →